LISTEN…BE YOURSELF…BE GRATEFUL - Interview by Sue Van Der Hout
by Jennifer Carroll
Jennifer Carroll is vice president/New Media Content for Gannett Co., Inc., the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. In 2007 she received the Chairman’s Special Achievement Award for the development and rollout of the Information Center and in 2006, she was named corporate staffer of the year. Her success is stellar, but her feet are firmly on the ground. Her mantra: "Fight hard to stay true to myself". Her advice: Recognize that the path isn’t linear; that there’s no "right way"; find your own balance; create supportive partnerships; listen; be yourself; be grateful. Learn. Grow.
LISTEN…BE YOURSELF…BE GRATEFUL
Interview by Sue Van Der Hout
What does success mean to you?
How do I feel about my success at 49? I’m extremely proud of the fact that both my career and family life have flourished. I’ve been married 25 years, raised 2 daughters of whom I’m immensely proud, have friends and pursued interests and hobbies. My closest
friends will tell you that I fight hard to stay true to myself – that’s how I define myself from month to month.
| My closest friends will tell you that I fight hard to stay true to myself – that’s how I define myself from month to month. |
What does being "true to myself" mean?I define that first and foremost through my family, my husband, my daughters, through my personal relationships with siblings and close friends and through my ability to pursue hobbies. Am I close to the people I need to be close with? That to me is balance.
| Am I close to the people I need to be close with? That to me is balance. |
What role has your husband played in this?
My husband has been a counterbalance. When we married we were pursuing dual careers and thought that would always be the case. Then I had the opportunity to become a top editor. We came to the realization that our daughters, 9 and 13, would be better if one of us worked part-time. It was a positive decision for all of us. The youngest was 9 when he started. They were very outdoorsy. They started pursuing a lot of outdoor activities together – rock climbing, hiking, skiing, and a wonderful array of experiences. He still works part-time. He’s multi-dimensional. He sails and races with a regular crew. He’s a mountaineer. He’s got lots of interests.
| My husband has been a counterbalance… He still works part-time. He’s multi-dimensional. |
Is that what you expected of marriage?I wouldn’t have written the script this way when we got married. I remember an intense time when the girls were still young and I transferred to take the leadership of a large newspaper. The move put the happiness and security of my family on my shoulders.
There is no one right way to make this happen. There are so many considerations that you have to take into account. You have to decide: What is the right door? The right way never unambiguously presents itself. How to work, make a home, alternate work and family and create give and take with your spouse are dynamic processes. There are many ways to be a good parent and pursue a career. It’s not a linear path.
| You have to decide: What is the right door? The right way never unambiguously presents itself… There are many ways to be a good parent and pursue a career. It’s not a linear path. |
How did your girls react? Ever get any flak on that?
It was their reality, it was normal to them. It’s been wonderful for both.
Whenever I´m exhausted and questioned whether I´ve made the right choice, I think about my husband’s contribution. He was a full partner – he was and is a good father to the girls. He runs the errands and takes care of us. He’s always been good about that. I feel that he has given back every inch that I’ve done. It works out. I’m so glad that we made the changes we did.
But there have been funny moments because of the role reversals in our lives. At a girl scout sleepover, all the moms began complaining about how little their husbands do. I tried to join in to be part of the conversation, and the other mothers "outed me." They said: "We know how much your husband does." So it occasionally comes up in interesting ways.
| Whenever I´m exhausted and questioned whether I´ve made the right choice, I think about his contribution.
He was a full partner. I feel that he has given back every inch that I’ve done…I’m so glad that we made the changes we did. |
What does being a good parent mean to a woman who has a demanding career?
"Good parent" – I hope that I’ve been a good role model – caring, loving and giving. There are many ways of doing that. When my oldest daughter, Nikki, was born my father-in-law said, "When are you going to quit work and enjoy yourself?" That was not me. I’ve always had lots of extra energy. I wouldn’t have lasted long by not working. For me, there was enormous gratification from working.
A couple years ago I got a tremendous gift from Nikki. She wrote a poem to thank me for just being her mom, framed it, and stood up to read it on Christmas morning. It was very personal, and reinforced that I’ve always been there for her. Yes, we all cried.
| I hope that I’ve been a good role model – caring, loving and giving. There are many ways of doing that. |
What have the social/professional impacts been?
Our interaction with couples is really no different. In purely social situations, I take the professional hat off. That may differ from men who tend to take their work into their other spheres. But I relate more as mother, sister and friend. I enjoy being around children. I have the same stories, concerns and challenges as every mother has.
Have you ever felt alone in the workplace?
No. I’ve always worked around other professional women. My boss, the president of the newspaper division is a woman. I’ve always felt a level of comfort in being myself. I try to be professional, but I try to be who I am.
How is life different for women in professional situations?
One thing I’m conscious of is offering colleagues professional courtesy by not over emotionally reacting to situations. That was part of my upbringing. I grew up in a large family, and that was expected. Early on, I might have been much more mindful of how my work persona was. I found that as I continued my career, I was more effective by being myself.
| Early on, I might have been much more mindful of how my work persona was. I found that as I continued my career, I was more effective by being myself. |
Have you ever had doubts about your choices?
Can I say that I wasn’t without conflict all those years? No. But I had a proud moment this year when I went to my alma mater Michigan State to speak and Nikki came to hear me. She is a student there, and listened to the presentation for two hours along with her roommate. I felt good about that. I could not have done that had I stayed at home. There were a lot of other things I would have done had I stayed at home. But there were a lot of other important things that I couldn’t have done.
| Can I say that I wasn’t without conflict all those years? No… I could not have done that, had I stayed at home. There were a lot of other things I would have done had I stayed at home. But there were a lot of other important things that I couldn’t have done. |
You’ve been hailed by Gannett as a visionary and an advocate for change. What does innovation mean to you?
Innovation is rooted in finding transformational changes and disruptive concepts throughout the industry. We have an imperative to change and it is essential we respond urgently.
What’s been key to your success at Gannett?
Passion. My passion for journalism has stayed ignited.
Making an impact: I thought I had a plan to get from a to b. But I liked to walk through doors that opened. The key was moving forward or taking risks to make an impact.
A deliverables approach to create success: My current role [developing far-reaching concepts to improve journalism and engage communities with new digital tools] has been tremendously rewarding and energizing; the ability to test so many ideas and expand the scope of how we see ourselves and what we do. I’m curious about the leadership role that a newspaper has in a community or the role it has in a niche area such as helping moms connect with others on sites built for them. We have more dialogue and are more involved with readers than ever before. There’s a premium on community leadership and involvement.
| Keys to success:
Passion, Making an impact, A Deliverables Approach. |
What do you need to do in the workplace to get the best results from people?
It’s important to nurture and hone creativity. It’s important not to be the smartest person in the room. If you are, you’re no longer curious and you’re not learning. I try very hard to read a lot, research, expose myself to a lot of different ways of thinking. I love working with teams in different newspapers and coming up with new applications.
| It’s important not to be the smartest person in the room. If you are, you’re no longer curious and you’re not learning. |
What advice do you have for women and girls about professional success?
Be multi-dimensional. Be open to change. Have a wide network of supporters and mentors in your organization. Support and mentor others. Be aware of your value, your natural talents and build upon those. Make an impact. Stay curious. Keep learning. Ask for what you want. At the same time, be mindful of what others need from you, especially and including your boss. Keep perspective. Stay true to yourself. Walk tall.
| Be multi-dimensional… It’s important to have a well rounded life… there are many non-traditional ways to get to success. |
Are there any dangers ahead for professional women?
There has been a backlash to the rights and roles of women internationally but I don’t see how that could happen here.
Is the web empowering to women?
Women tend to use the web for connections. It allows connection with others who have similar interests. When a woman goes on the web to sell a couch, she’s not just selling a couch, but a couch that she cares about. It’s not just utility, although that is important as well.
Right now we operate 40 sites that allow moms to interact on a local level and on areas that they really care about – where moms can communicate, have a discussion at 2 in the morning. These are really interesting prospects.
| Women tend to use the web for connections. It allows connection with others who have similar interests. When a woman goes on the web to sell a couch, she’s not just selling a couch, but a couch that she cares about. It’s not just utility, although that is important as well. |
Would you tell your daughters to go into journalism?
Will that pay the bills? [laughter]
The power of the written word remains very strong. My father was a journalist. I took one journalism class in college. I thought that I had no interest in that field. I sent out resumes to a lot of different fields and began writing a column, then went to a full time job. I find it to be a fascinating field, but whatever my daughters think works for them is wonderful.
Our youngest daughter, Shannon, was President of Students for Social Change at her high school, enjoys art, is a very good photographer, and was on the swim team for years. Now she wants to be a photojournalist. Nikki is an English major, and she is now more interested in working with developmentally disabled children. I think in both cases it’s important to have a well-rounded life. I’m glad that they were able to see in our home life that there are many non-traditional ways to get to success, whether through journalism or any calling.
01.05.2008
Print Version»
Tell a Friend»
All articles » Subscribe»
